The direct tax collections are up 15.7% for the April-November period from corresponding period a year ago, data released by the government on Monday showed. Collections added to Rs 6.75 lakh crore while refunds amounting to Rs 1.23 lakh crore have been issued during April-November, which is 20.8% higher than refunds issued during the same period in the preceding year.

The anti-evasion wing of Central GST (Goods and Services Tax) and central excise in Mumbai has alleged a tax evasion of around 25 crore by RBL Bank over fees charged by banking correspondents (BCs) in transactions spanning three years. The 'cut and pay' model of the bank undervalued the domestic money transfer services, a source at the GST body.

India may soon be looking at rationalising GST rates as the year-old indirect tax regime stabilises, finance minister Arun Jaitley said, even as he dismissed the idea of a single rate that Congress president Rahul Gandhi has called for. Jaitley added that GST has helped expand the tax base, including that of direct taxes.